Bringing In The Sheaves

Acts 2:36-47

John 4:28-39 Scripture Reading

Jesus conversation with the Samaritan woman was concluded and the Apostles
were wondering why He would converse with a samairtan and a woman at that.
She went back to town and told the people there about Jesus. Even though she
had been a woman of questionable character they followed her out to see Him.
Jesus seeing them coming remarked to the apostles about a harvest that was
ripe and need of picking speaking of people who needed what He had to offer.
( This is my read on the white fields anyway )

Mondovi - Between Mondovei Wisconsin and Eleva is a farmer who still puts up
his grain in sheaves and uses horses. As I see them in the fall when I go to
visit relatives it reminds me of days of old when I was a boy and helped
throw the bundles of grain on the wagon to take to the threshing machine.
They were stacked in such a way as to make it easy to pitch them on the
wagon with a fork even for a boy.

Sheaves of grain are much easier to reap then sheaves of people. People
just don't stack in easy bundles the same as sheaves of wheat. Each are
different and must be handled differently.

If we are going to attract people to the Gospel and to our churches then we
will have to look at the way that Jesus did it and imitate Him.

How to attract people.

I. Genuinely Love Them

Matthew 9:36 " And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them,
because they were downcast and distressed like sheep without a shepherd. "

Command to love - 55 times in N.T. - I John 4:7,8

" Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who
loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God
For God is love. " Beloved let us love one another I John 4:7 and 8

If we are going to reach people we have to be interested in them for who
they are not for what they can do for us.

If we genuinely care for people, we will find ways to reach them that are
unconventional but not unbiblical.

During a hike in the woods, a troop of Boy Scouts came across an abandoned
section of railroad track. Each, in turn, tried walking the rails but
eventually lost his balance and tumbled off. Suddenly, two of the boys,
after considerable whispering, offered to bet that they could both walk the
entire length of the track without falling off. Challenged to make good
their boast, the two boys jumped up on opposite rails, extended a hand to
balance each other and walked the entire section of track with no difficulty
whatever. Bits & Pieces, A Monthly Mixture of Horse Sense and Common Sense
About Working With People, Volume C, Number 2

This is the sermon in a nutshell. We do things better and we live better
when we help each other. Whenever we lend a helping hand to another. we are
benefitting ourselves at the same time. Creative thinking will always find a
way to accomplish the task.

Harvard scholar Charles T. Copeland was once approached by a student who
asked, " Is there anything that I can do to learn the art of conversation? "

" Of course there is. And if you'll just listen I'll tell you what it is. "
answered Copeland.

There ensued a long and awkward silence which the student finally
interrupted with, " Well, I'm listening!."